Problems · by component

2015 Subaru Forester vehicle speed control problems

70 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Forester cite vehicle speed control, 11% of all 616 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
70
11% of all complaints
Crashes
26
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“On 3 different occasions the car randomly accelerated at a high speed without stepping on the gas pedal. The first time was in a parking lot. The second time was on a busy road while traveling at 35 mph. The car accelerated to about 60 mph, fortunately once applying the brakes the vehicle slowed down to gain control. The third time it happened was recently on [XXX] while slowly backing down [XXX]. The car accelerated backwards at a very high speed narrowly missing a fence in the neighbors yard. These incidents have happened with large time frame gaps in between the occurrences. After the third incident I took the car to a dealer Planet Subaru in Hanover MA. After keeping the car for a few days, the dealer called and said that they could not find anything wrong with the car and there was nothing that they could do for me. This issue is obviously very serious, if the car surges forward randomly while someone is crossing in a crosswalk it could be potentially fatal.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 3, 2026Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11715389
“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 1 MPH into a parking space, the contact attempted to shift the transmission into park (P) while depressing the brake pedal when the vehicle inadvertently lunged forward and crashed into a building. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The impact caused soreness in her chest and stomach. The contact received medical attention on the scene from Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The vehicle was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 3, 2023Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11547939
“The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 65–70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 16, 2023Vehicle speed controlODI 11538825
“I was parking the car it suddenly accelerated jumped the curb and was heading towards the building entrance dore. I could not stop it. To avoid entering the building I turned the vehicle tight and it collided against the wall. The air bags inflated.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 3, 2023Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherCrash reportedODI 11515233
“We were driving at 75 mph in the left lane when our car suddenly dropped in speed to 40 mph as though the transmission had dropped into neutral. There were no warning lights or any indication about what was happening. We were in heavy traffic, with trucks and car hitting their brakes. This could have caused a very serious accident. We managed to move our car to the right shoulder. The car's transmission re-engaged and we picked up our speed. This happened 3 times in the space of a few hundred miles while we were on a road trip. I called Subaru. They had no idea what it was. We went to the nearest Subaru dealer and they ran a diagnostic test, even including a 12 mile test drive with the computer hooked up. Nothing showed up. They told us to continue our trip. Then it happened 2 more times! The last time, again, in the left lane, on cruise. The engine rpm clocked up at 7500 rpm before I was able to get the car off the road. The engine died and we had to be towed to a shop. Again, no warning dash lights. This is a serious flaw and very dangerous.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 8, 2023Power train, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11510749
“I was backing out of a parking spot, and there was a telephone poll behind me in my path. I needed to pull forward to navigate around this poll. After backing up some, I put the car into drive to pull slightly forward, and the car lurched aggressively, so much so that I got out to see if it'd caught on something. It did not -- there was absolutely nothing there. So I got back in and tried to continue forward, and the accelerator went full force. I floored the brake pedal, but the car behaved as though I was flooring the accelerator. The car drove itself over a cement block, through a staircase and into the brick wall of an abandoned building, continuing to accelerate for a few seconds while against the wall. Air bags did not deploy. I walked away without physical injury, thank goodness. There were no warning lights, symptoms of or dashboard indicators of a problem before or during the issue. Upon investigation online, we see that there is a pending class action for this exact issue. The vehicle has been inspected by our insurance carrier and been deemed a total loss. Insurance has asked that we turn the title over to them in order to receive our payout, and I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 13, 2023Power train, Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherCrash reportedODI 11507009

Showing 6 of 70 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.